A/N: Season 5b finale...

The oval was overgrowing with vanity and hubris. Mellie. Jake. Abby. David. Liz. Two White House assistants. An intern. A member of the press corps trying to schedule an interview with somebody, anybody. Cyrus, at some point entering the periphery with motive. Fitz. And Olivia.

The volume was loud, the words were plenty, but the meanings inaudible. There was no pause, no respect, and no attention to each other. The room was a circus. Papers flying, fingers pointing, everybody right and nobody wrong. Except for Olivia, who stood silent at the side of Fitz's desk, detached and staring into the chaos.

Mellie interrupted her argument with Jake to screech in Liv's direction, "Olivia… Olivia! Where are my interview talking points?" Olivia eyes looked at her and returned no response. Mellie continued, "What is going on with everyone! Must I do everything myself?"

Fitz couldn't help but notice Mellie, after all her voice was shrill. But even more so he noticed Olivia made no attempt to settle her down. He glanced over between the two women, squinting his eyes before returning them to Cyrus to close out his conversation.

Mellie threw her hands in the air and turned to her running mate. "Jake, you find them – you do SOMETHING!" she yelled as she took her exasperation across the room.

The correspondent's repeated pleas for a news quote were no match for the volume rising above Liz and David's spirited discussion. Not even the door slam as the two assistants escaped altered the sonic flow of voices in the room.

Cyrus and Mellie were now talking over each other, selfishly in search of opponent secrets loosely disguised as friendly conversation. In order to be heard, Fitz raised his hand and summoned Abby closer. "I think I'll make an east coast appearance since Mellie is heading to California with Jake." "That's a great idea," she nodded. "We can schedule immediately."

Abby walked through the maze of conversations to Mellie's campaign manager to confirm the travel. "Liv, the President would like to take some of the eastern states next week, does that work with the campaign calendar?" Abby raised her eyebrows and waited for a reply. "Do you have the fundraiser events Liv?" She was used to Olivia's unfamiliar behavior as of late and assumed she was just overheating again. Abby decided then the President's idea needed no approval, shook her head affirmatively to herself, and with wide judging eyes and hurried step left the office.

After watching another person turn in haste from an apathetic Liv, Fitz glanced over again and noticed an absence in her gaze. He had a twinge something was very wrong.

Mellie, unfazed by Olivia's continued lack of response, talked at her again incessantly about upcoming campaign stops. This time Fitz interrupted, "Olivia?" Her eyes were the only reaction to his voice as they blinked slowly. "Liv," Fitz said firmly, becoming even more concerned. She had not shifted her position at the side of his desk and her expression remained uninterrupted. He walked over and stood in front of her, trying to catch her focus.

"Livvie." He lifted her chin towards him but she continued to stare elsewhere. She heard nothing but the rustle of movement and vocals, yet didn't notice when it subsided. Neither of them realized they were the only two left in the oval office; the remaining crowd was gone - annoyed by, or too busy to be bothered with, Liv's extended lapse of attention.

Fitz said "Olivia" one last time, but her mind translated the word in the voice of her father with a commanding "Olivia!" followed by the boom of a judge's gavel. This triggered uncontrollable flashes of memories in front of her eyes.

Standing with Fitz in the hallway for one minute. Holding hands on the trail bus. Staring at Fitz during the christening. B613. Vermont. Her abortion. Defiance. Amanda Tanner. Her mother. Her father. Huck. Fitz in a coma. Edison's accusations. Julia on the island. The kidnapping. Making deals with Mellie. Lying to Abby. Red doors. "I just wanted to hear your voice."

Fitz continued talking to her in attempt to stop the spiral, but she couldn't hear him. The memory flares came faster as her line of sight tunneled. The gavel crashed down again.

Camp David. Jerry's death. Jake. Mellie. OPA. Stephen. Kissing Fitz. Missing Fitz. Moving into the White House. "You have to be twice as good as them to get half of what they have." Late night calls to Fitz. Beating Andrew with the chair. "Yes." Yelling at Cyrus. Sitting with Fitz for one minute. The white hat. Making love with Fitz. Leaving him.

It was all there - her laughter, confusion, happiness, despair, love, mistrust, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and indifference. But her emotions were incongruous with the memories that appeared. She was losing control.

Fitz was resolute. He stood still watching her, understanding her range at this moment. He was ready in whatever way she would need him when her ending came.

As the last memory image pixelated away, Olivia collapsed into Fitz's arms, her body heavy and shaking - but depleted of all emotions. He staggered several steps backward and sat down on the floor in front his desk, holding her tight at his side.

…

Against the oval office windows, time lapsed by the evening sunset, though the midnight darkness, and into the dawn of a new day.

President Fitzgerald Grant was arguably the most powerful man in the free world. And as the night became morning, he was still sitting in the same place, on the floor in front of his desk in the oval office of the White House, holding the only woman he's ever loved.

He'd dozed on and off barely a few minutes at a time the whole night as she slept almost motionless against his chest. He looked down at Olivia and swept her hair away from her face. He loosened her jacket that had bunched up overnight and noticed her necklace wrapped around a button. He pulled up on the necklace working to untangle it, revealing doux bébé hanging from the tiny gold chain. His eyes swelled with tears as he stared at the ring he'd given her years ago. He freed the chain and placed it back inside her blouse, resting the ring and his hand against her heart. He leaned back against the desk, stretched out both of his legs, and looked up at the ceiling of the oval.

In a late rush, Abby knocked and entered the office simultaneously. "Good Morning Mr. President, we have an early…" she stopped, startled, seeing Fitz and Olivia sitting on the floor. Her face fell as she realized her best friend had finally come undone. Fitz looked at Abby and shook his head in silent confirmation. "I'll call… the doctor," she said nervously and headed through the residence side entrance. She shut the door and leaned back against it, trying to compose herself. She clutched the folders she was holding to her chest and closed her eyes tightly, squeezing out a stream of tears. She thought of seeing Liv despondent in Fitz's arms, how he was holding her and how strong he must have been when she needed it most. Abby felt some relief knowing he was there. She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, and called the physician.

...

Richmond, VA PTSD Treatment Center.

Fitz sat in the private office signing the last of the admittance papers and handed them to the counselor. "Thank you," he said, shaking hands and forcing a half-smile. As he walked down a back corridor to leave he caught a glimpse of a nurse pushing a patient in a wheelchair towards him - it was Olivia. He stopped, his heart pounding as the nurse wheeled Liv up to him. "I'll be back in a bit," the nurse said kindly.

Olivia looked up at Fitz. She didn't offer much emotion. But she was very aware he was the man that held her all night, the man she needed, and the only man who could have done it. "One minute?" she asked. He shook his head in disbelief that she came back to have this time with him. "One minute," he answered.

He lowered down on one knee beside her wheelchair, sliding one arm around the back of her neck and his other arm across to hold her. She rested her head against the crook of his neck and intertwined her arm with his. She could feel his heartbeat and she closed her eyes to just be with him in this moment.

After a minute, he squeezed her arm and looked into her eyes intently, "I'll be waiting for you, I promise."

"I need to take her in now Mr. President," the nurse said awaiting his confirmation. Fitz nodded his yes and stood up, bending to kiss Olivia on her forehead. He watched them until they disappeared through the door.

He walked out the side exit where his limo was waiting. The drive back was long and he had a lot of work to do, and little brainpower left to do it. He stared out the window at the day. It was early October and he hadn't noticed how the leaves had already turned to vibrant hues. He thought of Olivia and Vermont.

As the car drove along the White House driveway and turned in to park, Fitz watched a bright red leaf skip on the wind, past the window, and lay to rest on the ground.